Azure Test Plans vs HCL DevOps Velocity

Azure Test Plans gives teams tools to plan, run, and track manual and exploratory testing for apps. For scripted tests, teams can track actionable defects and connect test cases and suites to user stories, features, or requirements. Exploratory sessions let testers design and run tests at the same time. During manual tests, Test Runner can capture screenshots, image action logs, and screen recordings. Reports, dashboard widgets, and customizable Power BI reports show plan progress and trends. The service integrates with Azure Pipelines for CI/CD testing and offers REST APIs and an extension contribution model. Manual testing is available in the web portal through supported browsers on major platforms; a free Test & Feedback extension supports exploratory testing in Chrome and Microsoft Edge. The free Stakeholders plan does not allow users to create or manage Test Plans. Basic is free for the first five users, then $6 per user per month; Basic + Test Plans costs $52 a month, billed at $52 per user per month. A 30-day trial is listed. Azure DevOps cloud-based load testing is deprecated; Microsoft points users to Azure Load Testing for managed load testing.

HCL DevOps Velocity brings DevOps pipeline data together for value stream management, giving teams views and controls for understanding work and managing delivery. Its query language supports value stream models that inform budgeting, timelines, and staffing. Swim Lanes show who is handling each item and its pipeline progress; the Dots view represents work items visually to help spot bottlenecks. Governance options include automated and manual gates, audit tracking, and intelligent gates for risk and quality. HCL says a plugin library connects Velocity with hundreds of DevOps tools; listed integrations include SAP ChaRM, Solution Manager, and Cloud ALM. Documentation also describes connecting Jira, GitHub, Jenkins, and HCL DevOps Deploy. Installation is containerized, with Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift listed as platforms. Community Edition is free and supports 2–3 licenses with online forum support. The separate trial edition is free for 60 days, with unlimited concurrent users and non-production support. Standard Edition has full support, with pricing on request.